Translation of the Chofetz Chaim's Sefer Shmiras HaLashon. This site is dedicated to the improvement of the speech of members of Bnei Yisrael. To help avoid all sorts of troubles, learn Shmiras HaLashon - "One who guards his mouth and his tongue guards from troubles of his soul." (Mishlei: 21; 23)

Thursday, July 27, 2006

Shmiras HaLashon: י"ב תשרי - Tishrei 12 - Twelfth Day

Subsequent to [discussing that one must guard his tongue from speaking that which is forbidden and how slander relates to sins between man and his fellow, we move on to] the next versewhich states “turn away from evil” (Tehillim: 34; 15), referring to the class of sins between man and HaShem. Concerning the 248 positive commandments, the verse then states “and do good” in relation to. [[The pesukim[1] first discuss] guarding from sins that are between man and his fellow, as they include both [sins against one’s fellow and sins against HaShem. For when one wrongs another, he violates the Will of HaShem Who commands against committing this [sin], also wronging his fellow in the process.] Conversely, Heaven Forbid, when [the person] does not guard his tongue from evil, he increases in the performance of many willful sins[2], as well as exceedingly great and powerful inadvertent sins that come about [as a result of this] sin of [forbidden speech]. This matter of guarding the tongue is the root and essence of most sins between man and his fellow, as well as certain sins between man and G-d, this concept being explained in the introduction.

In fact, according to the words of our Sages of Blessed Memory, in maseches[3] Arachin (15a, 16b) and elsewhere, that deal at great length with the enormous shamefulness of this sin [of Lashon HaRa] and its great punishment (we will quote their holy words later on in the book, G-d willing), it is implicit that this sin [of Lashon HaRa] is itself very severe, regardless of that which results from [the forbidden speech]. Therefore we need to elucidate, concerning what [reasons] and why is this sin more severe than the other grave sins that are [found] in the Torah.

[1] Pesukim = Verses.[2] MaLBI”M explains (Yishayahu: 1; 4) that עון – willful sins – relates to the words עוות and עוה – distort. עון is the type of sin one performs as a result of intentionally distorting his ways from the way of the Torah, and thereby sins intentionally. חטא – inadvertent sin – refers to a sin performed through negligence, where one thought that the action was not a sin, thinking it is permitted or being blinded to the fact it is forbidden to desire. חטא means “miss”, as in “miss the target”. Due to erroneously “thinking” that a given sin is permitted, or being blinded to its forbidden nature, the person “misses the mark”, as his understanding of the given sin is “off target”.[3]“Maseches”